New Resolve
by Winter Ashby
Summary: He watches her when he thinks no one knows. And he hates the way he wants what's not his. But he sees her alone, and finds a new reason to fight. Will it be enough to win? [Kai & Hiromi]


**Title:** New Resolve  
**Author:** Winter Ashby _(rosweldrmr)_  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade is not mine, I wouldn't want it anyway. If I did have it, I'd give it to you SE. Except Rei, he's mine ;) And Takao Aoki-sama is in no way affiliated with this fic, duh!  
**Rating: **K+  
**Summary: **He watches her when he thinks no one knows. And he hates the way he wants what's not his. But he sees her alone, and finds a new reason to fight. Will it be enough to win? (Kai & Hilary)  
**Authors Notes:** Again, this is for SE, 'cause she rocks - hardcore. As with my first Beyblade fic, Living (2938417), I have chosen to use the original Japanese names instead of the dubbed ones.I swear someday I will convert everyone to use the Japanese instead of the butchered Americanized version!_ Hiromi_ is Hilary. _Kai_ is Kai (Duh). _Takao_ is Tyson. _Rei _is Ray. I think that about covers it. So, enjoy! 

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_She lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a better man._

Betterman - Pearl Jam_  
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He would watch her. Through slightly cracked doors, and past half closed windows, he would strain to glimpse her. She would smile and tilt her head so that her hair would fall to sweep across her cheek. He envied her hair then, because it could touch her when he could not. 

He thought about what it would be like to touch her face. He was sure past the calluses and half gloves she would feel like water running over granite.

Her scarlet eyes and chestnut hair haunted him at night. He would wake with shaking hands and burning hate coursing through his veins and yet, he didn't know why. All he could see was her face against a red sky that rained down fire.

He could see the way she looked at _him_ when she didn't think anyone was looking.

He was a hunter still not hungry enough for his prey. So he remained in the shadows, just past her line of sight, and waited for his chance.

So he fled from her and _him_ and all of it. Because he couldn't think straight when she was around, all he could hear was her teary voice from the back of his mind, begging him for something he couldn't give. He wouldn't give.

But when she was alone, it was different. He liked watching her then the most, because she couldn't hide behind fake smiles and unwavering loyalty. She was achingly raw and exposed. He hated himself as he watched the pieces of her heart rest on her sleeve because it only made her more appealing.

Sometimes she would cry. Not wide-eyed, quivering-lip, swollen tears, but silent, fist-clenched, lonely tears.

But only when she was alone, and only when she was sure no one would see.

Her haven was a dimly lit locker-room or vacant hallway during a match. She would lean her hands against the wall and let her down-turned face splash tears to the dirty tile.

He felt compelled to comfort her. It was a foreign sensation, empathy. He was unaccustomed to caring. And he was sure it didn't suit him.

But she was strong. He hated knowing that. It made her appear to be at his level. It only made harder to sleep at night, because he was now sure that her body would fit perfectly against his.

So he waited, and watched from the dark corners of hallways for his moment, affected and yet – still unmoved to compassion.

Instead, he desired more power and a devastating victory. He wanted to see Takao on his knees, broken and lost at his hands. But eventually, he began to wonder why he wished so vehemently for Takao's crushing defeat. Was it still his rivalry, or had she turned it into something else?

He hated watching her.

It made him weak and flawed because he desired something that wasn't his to want, and it wasn't to beat his rival. But he refused to admit that she'd taken that rivalry from him and convoluted it something else.

Kai often considered that he was just as insane as Brooklyn. But he was lost in a haze of self-delusion and this mysterious need to taste her. He'd convinced himself that he'd never stop fighting, not for her or anyone.

But inside, he'd already felt the shift happen. It was a painful transfer from watching to wanting, to needing, to… whatever this was now.

He entered the stadium bold and confident because today, he had a new reason to fight. He no longer battled his brazen opponent for a title, or years of second place, he was fighting for her. He fought for her to no longer cry in dark hallways and empty rooms. He fought to rid her face of that look she'd give _him_. He fought to prove he was good enough so that someday he would no longer have to be the hunter, and she would come to him.

The trophy was light in his embrace; cold thin sheets of metal were no match for flesh. She was searing. She wrapped her arms around his neck, the way he'd seen her do for _him_ in the past.

He told himself he would just accept her congratulations and then let her go, to drift back in obscurity of her mind.

But his hands refused to obey him.

Instead they pulled around her slender waist until she was flush against him. He could hear the tiny gasp she released as his hold tightened slightly. He was suddenly overtaken by the devastating thought that he might never get this chance again.

So he buried his face in her chestnut hair and breathed her in. He could feel her hot breath disappear from his neck as she turned her face to rest with her cheek to his chest. He wasn't sure how long he held her and pretended like the rest of the world didn't exist. But he knew that just beyond her hair, and skin, and the curve of her back – everyone was watching them.

He imagined them alone in a dark room or an empty hallway. It was easier then to imagine tasting her lips, like he'd wanted to do for years now.

"Hiromi…" her name was sweet on his lips and fire for his soul. Her arms slipped from his shoulders and wrapped around his waist.

"Hm?" she only pulled closer and he was forced to admit that his racing heart had nothing to do with his newly acquired title of world champion.

"Don't cry anymore." His lips grazed over the curl of her ear and she shivered in his arms. "I don't like it."

"I know." One hand left her back and dragged over the fabric of her shirt and came to rest at the base of her neck. "I've known for a while now." He entwined his fingers with her hair and sighed. "I've been waiting."

"Yokata." He informed her of his approval with a strong word and quaking nerves. He was sure she could feel the way his whole body shook as he held her. And as she pulled away slightly and cast her enchanting scarlet eyes on him, his mouth went dry.

Then she pulled at his shirt and rose to her tip toes. She slowly rested her lips to his cheek. As she pulled away, he was sure she left a brand that the whole world could see. "Congratulations, Kai."

Her worlds pooled somewhere in the distance, because all he could see or hear or acknowledge at that moment was her shinning lips that were so close now.

He turned into her, catching her unprepared. But that didn't matter as he pressed his lips to hers with an urgent kind of restraint. He'd been watching her for so long now, that having her within his reach, and knowing she wanted to be there was suffocating. So he drew her tightly against him and nearly died with relief as her lips responded likewise.

"E-HEM!" Kai was suddenly left cold as she pulled her lips away and tucked her head under his chin. He couldn't see it, but he could feel her whole body flush against him. And he was overwhelmed by the surging urge to shield her secret blush from them, because it was his. She was his.

He pulled his arms around her, protectively, and shot daggers in the direction of the interruption. "Can I help you?" who else but the overly boisterous runner-up could be so bold. Takao merely looked on, arms crossed, and an incongruously satisfied smirk on his face.

"Well, it's about time!" with that, he turned and stalked away. But he had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't stalking so much as suppressing laughter.

He turned to find the faces of so many more of their companions with the same look. Rei appeared to be the only one to take pity on him, because he leaned in and quietly spoke. But Kai wasn't blind to the fact that there was a pink woman just in the distance who held his hand and smiled warmly.

"We've all known for a while about how you two felt. You'd have to be blind to miss it." With that, he quirked a half-smile his way and slapped his forearm. "Congrats man!"

Kai peered past the curtain of hair that covered his features to the petite brunette in his arms. "I suppose we were the last to know." She blushed furiously yet again and he was strangely proud of himself.

"Looks like." Her hand found his as they turned, together and made their way from the stadium. "Let's celebrate." But her suggestion was not without after thoughts. He smirked and tightened his hand in hers.

"Yes, that's sounds like a good idea."

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**Foot Notes**:

Holy, F-ing GOD! I wrote FLUFF, again! What is it with these two, I just want to see them happy I tell you!

Oh well, at least this proves you SOME of you that I am capable of writing something other that extreme ansgt. It's a little angsty though, isn't it - in the beginning?

As always, tell me what you think ;)


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